Helen of Troy

myminifactory

In Greek mythology Helen was the renowned daughter of Jupiter and celebrated for her extraordinary beauty. She had married Menelaus, the King of Sparta, but while her husband was away, Helen was abducted by Paris, a prince from Troy, whom she later wedded. This dramatic event triggered a long and brutal war between the Greeks and Trojans. Several other versions of this iconic work exist, including one housed in the Palazzo Albrizzi in Venice. The renowned poet Lord Byron had seen it in 1812 and was so moved that he penned: ‘Above the works and thoughts of humanity, what nature could do but did not, and beauty and Canova can!’ Another version is part of the collection owned by Lord Londonderry, presented to Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, later 2nd Marquess of Londonderry, in 1816 (see 'Canova Ideal Heads', ed. K. Eustace (exh. cat.), The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1997, pp. 84-5, cat. no. 4). This object is part of "Scan the World", a non-profit initiative launched by MyMiniFactory to create a digital archive of fully printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from around the globe for free public access. Scan the World is an open-source community effort; if you have interesting items nearby and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how you can help. Courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.